Here East welcomes His Majesty the Sultan of Oman

It was our greatest honour to welcome His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Sultan of Oman, to Here East today as part of his official UK State Visit.

During the visit, His Majesty and the Royal delegation toured our innovation hub, Plexal, meeting some of the pioneering UK tech companies driving innovation in AI, space, clean energy, and life sciences.

This is the first state visit by a Sultan of Oman in 44 years, and we were delighted that Here East and Plexal were chosen for the final day of his visit. It was an honour to showcase our Olympic legacy campus and the leading innovators that call it home.

Exploring our leading model of urban regeneration

Upon arrival, His Majesty was officially welcomed by Gavin Poole (CEO of Here East), Lord Sarwar (Minister of State for Trade at the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade), Saj Huq (CEO of Plexal), and Mark Camley (Executive Director of Estate & Neighbourhoods of London Legacy Development Corporation).

As part of the visit, we walked His Majesty through the story of Here East as a leading model of urban regeneration located in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Born from the former Press and Broadcast Centre for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, our 1.2 million sq ft campus is now recognised globally as one of the most successful post-Olympic transformation stories.

It is an anchor within the Olympic Park Innovation District – one of the key innovation clusters recognised under the Mayor of London’s London Growth Plan – and houses a 7,000-strong community of innovation-led businesses, global technology companies, world-class academic institutions, and creative pioneers.

As Jamie Ritblat, Founder and Executive Chairman of Delancey, explained:

"Here East demonstrates what can be achieved through long-term vision, sustained investment and a commitment to creating places with lasting economic, cultural and social value. Our transformation of the former London 2012 Olympic Press and Broadcast Centres was driven by the belief that regeneration should do more than repurpose buildings. It should attract enterprise, create employment, democratise access to world-class culture, strengthen communities and provide a foundation for future growth. We are proud to have played a role in creating a destination that continues to evolve, most notably through welcoming the V&A East Storehouse, an open home for creativity and national heritage, bringing together education, culture, technology and enterprise while contributing to the wider transformation of East London. It is an honour to welcome His Majesty and to share how ambitious investment, thoughtful placemaking and enduring partnerships can create a lasting legacy for generations to come!"

Showcasing frontier technology in Plexal

During the visit, His Majesty toured a special industry showcase inside Plexal, highlighting UK companies leading the way in critical frontier sectors like AI, space, clean energy, and life sciences.

The showcase featured Panda Surgical – a med-tech spinout from UCL based right here at Here East – alongside leading UK and international tech innovators including Bio Orbit, SAIF Autonomy, Stealth Labs, 44.01, Harwell Innovation Campus, Arm, and Yamna.

Saj Huq, CEO of Plexal, commented:

"We're delighted to welcome His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq to Plexal and introduce him to some of the brightest and most innovative companies in our ecosystem. From life sciences and autonomous systems to climate and space technologies, these businesses demonstrate the breadth of innovation being developed and scaled in the UK. Plexal has worked closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and partners in Oman in recent years, and we're proud to host this visit as an opportunity to strengthen relationships between the UK's and Oman's innovation ecosystems."

Demonstrating the power of collaborative ecosystems

Visits like this are a fantastic opportunity to showcase our Olympic legacy campus, highlighting its role as an exciting global launchpad for international collaboration, trade, and technological innovation – connecting the UK's high-growth sectors with partners across the globe.

Gavin Poole, CEO of Here East, commented:

"It was an incredible honour to welcome His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq to Here East today. Our campus was built on the legacy of London 2012 to prove how place-based transformation can create a thriving, world-class ecosystem for technology, education, and creativity. Showcasing the pioneering work happening across Here East to His Majesty highlights the power of collaborative ecosystems in solving global challenges and driving international growth."